Perched in the far corner of a run-down New England mall, the Red Lobster hasn’t been making its numbers and headquarters has pulled the plug. But manager Manny DeLeon still needs to navigate a tricky last shift. With four shopping days left until Christmas, Manny must convince his near-mutinous staff to hunker down and serve the final onslaught of hungry retirees, lunatics, and holiday office parties. All the while, he’s wondering how to handle the waitress he’s still in love with, his pregnant girlfriend at home, and where to find the present that will make everything better.

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Quotes & Awards

“A deeply moving novel about how we work, how we live, and how we get to the next day with our spirits intact. If there was ever a book that embodies what’s best in us, it’s Stewart O’Nan’s Last Night at the Lobster.”

Stephen King

“O’Nan’s empathy for his characters is one of
his great gifts as a novelist, and it is an impressive achievement that Manny’s
misplaced affection for Red Lobster is not risible, but tragic…O’Nan is also a
bitter realist.”

New York Times

“A delightful heartbreaker of a novel…Exquisite.”

USA Today

“O’Nan crafts a perfectly observed slice of
working-class life.”

Entertainment Weekly

“A masterful portrait.”

Washington Post Book World

“Touching…Small but not slight, the novel is a
concise, poignant portrait of a man on the verge of losing himself.”

Publishers Weekly

“[Last
Night at the Lobster] demonstrates once again why the author is known as
the ‘bard of the working class’…This slice-of-life novel is funny, poignant,
and exquisitely rendered.”

Library Journal

“A rueful mood piece from prolific, eclectic O’Nan
about the closing of a chain restaurant…Very low-key, but haunting and quietly
provocative.”

Kirkus Reviews

A 2007 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Nominee for Fiction

Listener Opinions

Rebecca | 2/18/2014

" More a short story than a novel, it's a little bit of nothing about a restaurant closing down, the end of relationships and resolution of petty disagreements. It's a quick read, which is perhaps the best I can say of it. "

Debbie | 2/14/2014

" So many good reviews for Stewart O'Nan's books, especially this one, yet I have not been able to finish one yet. I find them slow-moving and they do not keep my interest. I tried Lobster first since it got so many good reviews. Second, I tried The Good Wife and again could not finish it. I am sticking it out with Wish You Were Here but it is not that great, I am just curious about how the characters resolve their situations. "

Karen Glass | 2/12/2014

" An incredible realistic look at the lives of people working in a chain restarant. A good read "

" Now I understand better why it is service is so bad at a restaurant that is closing. Anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant/cafe will appreciate the collection of people who populate this story. Although, I did find myself wondering how the relationship between the manager and one of his waitresses would turn out; and the plot takes a bit of a back seat to the inevitable moving on from the Red Lobster to some other place of employment, what tension there was resolved itself in the end in a satisfying way. "

Tim Dunn | 1/8/2014

" A quick, fun read, but nothing spectacular. It's kind of what I would class as a neat read. I suppose if you've worked in a restaurant it might bring back memories, but overall it was slightly fun, but rather bland to me. "

Patricia | 1/6/2014

" Brings back fond memories of serving up the Neptune Platter to the unsavory public. "

kenpen | 1/3/2014

" The story only covers the last night at the Red Lobster before it closed. It was short, but entertaining. "

Karen Young | 1/1/2014

" Interesting book. Not a lot of excitement but I enjoyed it anyway. Interesting to read the behind-the-scenes on the restaurant. Went out to dinner last weekend and found myself thinking about the book while looking at the servers bustling around. "

Jeff Whittingham | 12/16/2013

" Loved this book! Great look at the mundane. Sad yet hopeful. "

Tyra | 12/10/2013

" Very nice quiet little book that makes you want to keep reading and finding out how it ends. I would actually like a follow-up of called the First Night at the Olive Garden to continue on with the characters :-) "

Brent | 11/22/2013

" A good story but too many f-bombs. "

Clinton Mcclung | 11/7/2013

" A short and wonderfully simple story of the last night in business at a strip-mall Red Lobster. "

Drew | 3/6/2013

" Pitch perfect portrait of a moment in Central Connecticut...land of my childhood and teenage meandering. Read it all at once, like putting a whole chocolate truffle in your mouth....but it's a york peppermint patty from the candy dish on the hostess stand at Red Lobster. "

Sarah Honenberger | 11/9/2012

" Read this last year on book tour for WHITE LIES, when I was reading all the small books in the Palmetto library. A good read, incredible characterization, O'Nan's typical little guy searching for meaning with a master touch on the everyday. "

Gina | 6/17/2012

" I loved this! A beautifully written short novel that takes place in one night at a Red Lobster restaurant. Thank you, Sue, for passing this on to me. "

Roger Butts | 3/8/2012

" One of my favorite books that I read in 2008. Nothing much happens. But O'Nan can paint a picture, in this case, of the goings-on of the last operational day of a Red Lobster in New England. The people who populate the store, and the book, are captured in realistic prose. I liked it a lot. "

Ginger | 2/7/2012

" This abook seems to give a real sense of life in the resturant world, and I found myself caring about the mundane problems of the manager as he struggled through the last day his restuarant would be open. "

Kimberle | 7/11/2011

" I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. "

Janice | 5/22/2011

" Seemed more like a short story or novella but fun to read anyway. A day in the life sort of thing.
"

Tiffany | 5/21/2011

" O'Nan does an excellent job writing about the normal day-to-day life of regular joe's.
"

Jenn | 5/20/2011

" I absolutely loved this book. As the first book this year in the book club that I'm in, it's a hell of a way to start.

Anyone that worked a shift job that they hated but loved at the same time will see things, remember things that may have long been forgotten.
"

Hannah | 5/13/2011

" My first Stewart O'Nan read, but certain not my last. Simple, straightforward style, with compelling characters, made me reminisce fondly on the camaraderie and relationships built during restaurant work.
"

Shadoh | 5/13/2011

" a very small book, the last night of work at a 'red lobster' restaurant, it is closing, the author obviously worked at a similar place, much detail of the daily running and problems incurred, i would read more by this author.
"

Zachary | 5/11/2011

" how could you argue with this book? so lovely. and the title / focus statement is brilliant
"

Erin | 5/8/2011

" What I like about this book is how the story sticks with you. I read this 2 years ago I still find myself thinking about it every now and then.
"

Jean | 4/27/2011

" A Red Lobster is closing and we get to spend the final day with the manager and a cast of very interesting characters. The characters are interesting, fun and not dull.
"

Marybeth | 4/26/2011

" Fun, quick read. I'm going to read Stewart O'Nan's new book to see how it compares to this one. Anyone that's ever worked in a customer service-type job should get a kick out of "Lobster".
"

Michelle | 4/20/2011

" This was exactly what it was advertised as: a study of the simple, routine things that make life life. It was eloquent and well-written and stunning in the measured articulation of the mundane. I loved it.
"

Sharah | 4/19/2011

" The main character was nothing but (to quote a favorite movie of mine) a "gutless wonder". Take charge of your life man!
"

Other Titles by Stewart O’Nan:

About the Author

Stewart O’Nan is the author of more than a dozen novels, including West of Sunset; The Odds; Emily, Alone; and Snow Angels, as well as several works of nonfiction, including, with Stephen King, the New York Times bestselling Faithful. His novel Last Night at the Lobster was a national bestseller and a finalist for the 2007 Los Angeles Times Book Prize. He was born and raised and lives with his family in Pittsburgh.

About the Narrator

Jonathan Davis has received widespread critical acclaim for his narration in a variety of genres. He has won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration in 2009, 2011, and 2012, as well as being a finalist for an Audie in 2007, 2013, and three times in 2014. He has also garnered accolades from Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and AudioFile magazine and has earned more than a dozen AudioFile Earphones Awards.

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